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Paris qui dort (1925)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
René Clair (writer)
Release Date:
1927 (USA)
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Plot:
A scientist's invisible ray freezes Paris into immobility. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Ray
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Invisible
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Frozen Time
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Frozen
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Race Against Time
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User Comments:
A foundation for contemporary films
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Cast
(Credited cast)| Henri Rollan | ... | Albert | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Charles Martinelli | ... | The scientist ) (as Martinelli (I) | |
| Louis Pré Fils | |||
| Albert Préjean | ... | The pilot | |
| Madeleine Rodrigue | ... | Hesta, the airline passenger | |
| Myla Seller | ... | The niece / daughter of the scientist | |
| Antoine Stacquet | ... | The rich man (as Stacquet) | |
| Marcel Vallée | |||
Additional Details
Also Known As:
At 3:25 (USA)
Le rayon de la mort (France) (alternative title)
Le rayon invisible (France) (working title)
Paris Asleep (International: English title)
The Crazy Ray (International: English title)
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Le rayon de la mort (France) (alternative title)
Le rayon invisible (France) (working title)
Paris Asleep (International: English title)
The Crazy Ray (International: English title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
USA:18 min (DVD version) | USA:35 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
This film is featured on the Criterion Collection DVD for Sous les toits de Paris (1930).
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Movie Connections:
Featured in "Fejezetek a film történetéböl: Az európai film kezdetei (#1.2)" (1989)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (9 total)
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Short section | IMDb France section | Add this title to MyMovies |

It's always nice to watch various films from a relatively long time ago in order to get a grasp of what set the standards for the discourses of today. "Paris qui dort" is a science fiction short which establishes several motifs of today's science fiction fancy.
Paris sleeps. People who were high above the ground, either in the Eiffel Tower or in an airplane come down to find a city almost frozen in time. Water, machines, regular things move, it's just that all the people are asleep. The characters then get to live their wildest dreams of freedom and riches until it just starts to not work out for them.
Some images, such as the initial main character's approach to a fountain, are immediately recognized as used in 28 Days Later... The sleeping people are often set in the same sort of not-quite-frozen, not-quite animated set-up that's later used in Dark City. It's interesting to see such images become inspiration for entire other works we recognize today.
Unfortunately, the short itself hardly feels able to stand on its own anymore. The initial shot of a static Paris has cars moving at the edge of the frame. The characters' own boredom unfortunately connects well with the modern audiences own. However, it's still creative and interesting enough to be worthy of recognition and to be respected for what it's done.
--PolarisDiB